Hi friends!!!!!

QueenOpossum

QueenOpossum

New member
Hi friends, I’m new on squat the planet, I created my account a couple months ago but hadn’t got the chance to use it, so here I am world!

My name is Possy (I’m a hardcore opossum lover), I’ve only started started taking traveling as a lifestyle serious in the last couple months of my life, but so far it’s been pretty great, lots of ups and downs but I’ve been pretty happy with the choice ( *¯ ³¯*)♡

I am a part of the LTGBQ+ community so I’m super stoked to be apart of a super supporting community such as this one, I’m FTM (he/him) which I have found to be a real bad struggle during hitchhiking, squatting, anything you would imagine, I’m hopping to find some advice and help from you lovely people on here.

Safe travels to you friends! ❤️🦝
 
BabyGodzilla said:
I was raised by the church so love 💘 is in me .
Though the mind now,is hesitant on accepting lbgqat,,,I'm trying. Ring my alarm ⏰😴
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Seems sort of contradictive doesn't it?

"Raised by the church so love is in me.. cept for them gays.. I'm hesitant on showing love for that community"

Yeah that's paraphrasing a bit but I just think the whole thing reads kinda shitty. Announcing that you're raised by the church so you have love in you is basically like starting off a statement like "As a Christian"(or whatever your religion is) and that's usually always followed by some self righteous insincere bullshit. I mean I guess you could say I was raised by the church too. My meth addict mother and her husband used to get in fist fights and drag us to church. Sometimes they'd brawl in the car on the way. It really gave me an interesting perspective when we'd arrive to the church. We were always the latest ones to arrive, all eyes on us.. you could feel the judgement. But that's not what the church is about is it? /s


Idk.. I'm not trying to be a dick or anything but I think your comment just stinks imo and really adds nothing/very little to this post. Like yeah good on you I guess, that you're trying. But how hard are you trying really? You completely butchered the acronym and it's not even that difficult. The fuck is lbgqat? And why do you need to "try" in the first place? Maybe I'm different idk. I don't recall having to put in effort to accept people that weren't exactly like me. Isn't that sort of already in us? Or should be? None of us are the same. Why should you or I care who the next person finds attractive/loves? If you're causing no harm to others, well then you're alright with me.

But hey.. keep trying I guess..
 
BabyGodzilla said:
I was raised by the church so love 💘 is in me .
Though the mind now,is hesitant on accepting lbgqat,,,I'm trying. Ring my alarm ⏰😴
Click to expand...
Keep on trying, trying is better than not trying. But please don’t ever say this to anyone irl or online, it’s hurtful and seems like you’re being passive aggressive.

If you don’t like that someone is LTGBQ+ just don’t mention anything, I don’t need to know you like me a little less because of my sexuality and gender identity which is none of your business to begin with, you don’t need to know what my genitals are or who I’m in bed with, not knowing any of that won’t affect your world. Be kind to others. ❤️
 
Hello @QueenOpossum, welcome to StP! I'm Matt (he/him) and we are all here to help support travelers new and old. If there's anything you need just hit up myself or one of the mods or just post a thread in the message board.

In terms of travel, what or where do your interests lie? Is there a particular place you want to go? Or a mode of transportation you are particularly interested in? Let us know maybe we can help you achieve your travel dreams 👍
 
Matt Derrick said:
Hello @QueenOpossum, welcome to StP! I'm Matt (he/him) and we are all here to help support travelers new and old. If there's anything you need just hit up myself or one of the mods or just post a thread in the message board.

In terms of travel, what or where do your interests lie? Is there a particular place you want to go? Or a mode of transportation you are particularly interested in? Let us know maybe we can help you achieve your travel dreams
Click to expand...

Hi Matt, thank you so much for your kindness and welcoming with open arms, all the people I’ve had the opportunity to talk with who are apart of this community are so friendly and helpful.
I joined the discord awhile ago and I love everyone I have met even in the short amount of time I have interacted with the community. ❤️

As a newbie to hitting the road it’s been an up and down slope, I regretfully admit the reason I started traveling was because I caught my partner cheating on me.
I wanted to take some time after this situation to heal and try something new, to travel, make new friends, and see more places.
A new start and adventure.

I’d like to start vandwelling, but I’m not happy with the affect on the environment and they don’t seem so fuel friendly. I’ve tried backpacking and hitchhiking for a few months, but I didn’t feel safe and fell into couple of iffy situations, id really like a car or van for my own safety but I’m still trying to pick out the right vehicle.

so as of right now I’m trying to bulk up on any information on vandwelling, traveling, backpacking, anything you can dream of.
any resources, forums, YouTube channels you could recommend me would be fantastic.

(also for anyone reading I’m open to DMs with tips and all info you can give me)
 
well, if being environmental is your top priority, I'd look into getting a 2006-2009 prius (avoid the 2010 model). i traveled with two of them (a 2008 and 2012) and they can be converted to have a decent sleeping space and also get 50 mpg and are really reliable/affordable. its not a lot of space to live in but if you're minimalist, it's a pretty great way to travel.

i have a video showing my first setup here:

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and the prius dwellers reddit is probably the best resource for that specific type of travel:

 
Matt Derrick said:
well, if being environmental is your top priority, I'd look into getting a 2006-2009 prius (avoid the 2010 model). i traveled with two of them (a 2008 and 2012) and they can be converted to have a decent sleeping space and also get 50 mpg and are really reliable/affordable. its not a lot of space to live in but if you're minimalist, it's a pretty great way to travel.

i have a video showing my first setup here:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.


and the prius dwellers reddit is probably the best resource for that specific type of travel:

Click to expand...

I hadnt even thought about a Prius, I’m not really car smart so thank you, going to watch your video asap ❤️
 
If you want to travel in an environmentally friendly way, but with a bit more freedom than hitchhiking, i highly recommend bike touring. I gave it a try last year for 3-4 months, and it was one of the best ways i have ever traveled. You can't carry much more stuff than you do in a backpack, but it makes a huge difference being able to get from one town to the next without having to rely on anyone else to take you. If you find yourself in a sketchy situation you can just jump back on your bike and go somewhere else. Even cycling through shady parts of towns that could be intimidating or downright dangerous on foot, on a bike you can "escape" much more quickly. Because you can cycle out to more remote areas to camp, you are more likely to spend the night around hunters/anglers or hippies and nature lovers, which is usually less stressful company than bored teenagers, drug addicts and petty criminals that tend to stick more around town.
 
You think if I got a bike it’d be safe from being stolen? I really like this idea though, must be super duper healthy for your body too, do you have any recommendations for where I could learn about bike touring?
 
My apologies, I’m not sure if my comment replied to yours, squat the planet is a little confusing on my stupid out of date phone
 
I was a bit worried my bike would be stolen too, but i realized after starting my bike tour that really that's a "city dweller" perspective.

The vast majority of the time on a bike tour you will be in rural areas, very small towns, or the outermost suburbs of bigger cities to pick up some groceries at a Walmart. In some of these places you can leave your bike unlocked, or just do a quick loop around one of the wheels to stop an opportunist from pedaling off with it. In some of the shadier parking lots i took the bag with my most important stuff off the bike and brought it with me in the store/restaurant, but in most places i just left it on the bike and only took my bum bag with money, ID, etc.

I think after a while you get a good feeling for the sorts of places where it's safe to leave a bike for half an hour while you do something else. Overnight if you are really worried you can lock it to your tent or hammock to make it easier to hear if someone's messing with it, or you could lock it to a nearby tree or picnic table. But in most places, i either didn't lock it at all overnight (backcountry/wilderness) or just put a loop through the wheel, same as i did at parking lots. It helps a lot that usually you will be camping in places far away from the kinds of petty criminals who tend to hang out in more built-up areas.

Of course it helps too if you have a cheap bike. But you don't really need an expensive bike to tour, just one with a good sturdy rack on the back and strong enough wheels to handle the extra weight. If you want to learn more, i recommend the bike touring section right here on StP where you can find threads from me, Colin Leath, Superphoenix, Hitchbiker/Bikepunky and others who set off with not much stuff and just kinda worked it out. It's easier than you'd expect, once you get on the road. Perhaps it isn't for everyone, because it can be pretty lonely and you do spend a lot more time in remote areas than in bustling cities, but it's definitely worth trying for once, especially if you're into environmentally conscious travel.
 
QueenOpossum said:
now I’m faced with the ultimate choice, a Prius or a Bike, I’m sold on both…
Click to expand...
im almost embarrassed i didn't mention the bike before ali, since i did that for a few years as well, and if you wanna be super eco conscious and low budget, there's no better way to travel. although, it does come at the price of physical exertion which i think most would see as another benefit rather than a drawback.
 
I biked a lil bit in my early preteen years but I haven't rode a bike in two or three years, time to pull out the training wheels lmao, I’ll check out bike touring and then maybe try out a Prius in the future ❤️
 
Matt Derrick said:
well, if being environmental is your top priority, I'd look into getting a 2006-2009 prius (avoid the 2010 model). i traveled with two of them (a 2008 and 2012) and they can be converted to have a decent sleeping space and also get 50 mpg and are really reliable/affordable. its not a lot of space to live in but if you're minimalist, it's a pretty great way to travel.

i have a video showing my first setup here:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.


and the prius dwellers reddit is probably the best resource for that specific type of travel:

Click to expand...


Cheaper and easier to work on, but with similar gas mileage is the geo metro! It's a cult car for peeps who hate cars. With a 3 cylinder engine that sounds like a golf cart/lawnmower hybrid you won't be going fast (especially up any hills), but I like having the peace of mind that I can fix almost anything that goes wrong by myself with a little bit of youtubing (or good ol' classic duct tape and zip ties)...

I built a collapsible bed for mine that I was able to sleep in with my partner at the time. Used PVC for the frame and wove a net out of some rope. This could work in a lot of small hatch back vehicles.

That said, bike touring is definitely the way to go [: You get all the amazing views of riding freight, but you can stop at any time to enjoy/interact with it, and you don't have to sneak around or worry about spending the night in a cell... People also respond really well to cycle tourists in comparison to backpackers in my experience. I guess in their eyes backpackers are just homeless, but cycle tourists... aren't?... Idk, I don't really understand it, but I don't mind randos being less shitty to me. I'd say cycle touring is my favorite movement modality atm!

Safe travels

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ali said:
If you want to travel in an environmentally friendly way, but with a bit more freedom than hitchhiking, i highly recommend bike touring. I gave it a try last year for 3-4 months, and it was one of the best ways i have ever traveled. You can't carry much more stuff than you do in a backpack, but it makes a huge difference being able to get from one town to the next without having to rely on anyone else to take you. If you find yourself in a sketchy situation you can just jump back on your bike and go somewhere else. Even cycling through shady parts of towns that could be intimidating or downright dangerous on foot, on a bike you can "escape" much more quickly. Because you can cycle out to more remote areas to camp, you are more likely to spend the night around hunters/anglers or hippies and nature lovers, which is usually less stressful company than bored teenagers, drug addicts and petty criminals that tend to stick more around town.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Would you maybe talk more about cycling to more remote areas of town to camp? Currently I’m taking renting an office that I don’t live in (…) after van dwelling for a few years.

I’ve thought of ultra minimal bike touring/ dwelling as a lifestyle. I guess travelling with the seasons would be necessary or renting or rubber tramping in the winter (I’m in New York City atm)

Thanks!
 
It depends what you want to do. I don't have any experience staying in the same place for a long time (>2 days) and trying to find a free spot to sleep. For me, that's when i would just book into cheap accommodation or try find a short term rental. Personally i don't like the feeling of staying in the same place for extended periods without a secure shelter to leave my stuff. There are lots of people on this site with more experience living in a fixed location without any money who can provide better tips than me if that's what your goal is.

However, specifically in the context of traveling by bike, if you literally go to a new place every day... Then i think there are more options, because the local people will you see you more as an explorer or an adventurer than a bum, and they might be more inclined to help you, or at least not hassle you, because they know you'll be out of their hair 12 hours later.

One good place is to check out rural locations that are commonly used by people in the area for overnighting outdoors. Some states or provinces are better than others for this. Look for wildlife management areas, state or county fishing lakes, boat ramps, or any forests, parks, beaches, desert or greenspace that is government-owned. In some of these spots you can legally camp for free, other ones cost a trivial amount of money per night (<$10), or you might just need to get a permit. State and national parks have pretty great camping facilities, but tend to be a bit pricier.

Towns with fairgrounds sometimes have free camping at the fairground. In smaller towns (<1000 people) you will often find a handful of RV sites that you can pitch a tent at, in a pinch. Also in smaller towns you can talk to the locals and just ask if there is a good spot to camp. If you're obviously a traveler who is only going to be there overnight, then sometimes people will just point out a back yard, church ground or abandoned lot where you can set up. In one town i met the mayor in line at the general store and she said i should just pitch out back of an abandoned building. This is the sort of stuff you may not be able to get away with if you're staying in the same place for a long time, but if you're just passing through it's easier.

If you don't mind depending on other people's charity for a place to stay, then as a bike tourer you can also use the site WarmShowers, which is basically free homestays for bike tourers. More of the hosts tend to be in and around larger cities and popular tourist destinations than real small towns and backcountry, but if that's where you're headed anyways then i suppose it's not a big deal. Personally i stayed at a WarmShowers once and never want to do it again, i just felt extremely awkward having to rely on charity instead of being independent, but other people don't have that problem so it's up to you.
 
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

I kind of think, seems to me that we all depend on each other ultimately. There are levels to it though.
 
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